Paradoris sp. #7

 Apparently this is one of two animals in this species recorded in Hawaii.  This tiny, young paradoris (4-5 mm) was found at the edge of a large piece of broken-off grey sponge in less than 3 metres of water,  Ma’alaea Bay, Maui. Whether it is rare or just rarely seen is always hard to know, as it blended in entirely with its host sponge.  Even when I showed it to fellow snorkelers they could barely see it through their microscopic lenses on their cameras.  For a photo of the other recorded animal, spotted by Cory Pittman many moons ago, see Sea Slugs of Hawaii.  If you see one that is similar, also consider the possibility of Paradoris sp. #4, which I happened to see a few days prior to this one.  Spotting sp. #4, meant I opened my eyes to looking more closely for grey, innocuous, tiny nudibranchs — something I hadn’t considered before.

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